Dust off the Nintendo Wii because the word is out that the video game actually does give you some exercise. The Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board series includes sports and activities that gets couch potatoes up and moving but many have questioned if it’s truly giving you a good workout. According to a new study that was released just this week by the American Heart Association (AMA) it appears that yes, you can get a ‘moderate’ workout. The study, funded by Nintendo, found that one-third of the Wii sports games and activities require an energy expenditure of 3.0 METs (metabolic equivalent values) or above. An exercise that is ‘vigorous’ would have a MET of 6.0 or greater. Here are some Nintendo Wii METs:

Boxing – 4.5 METs
Baseball – 3.0 METs
Wii Fit – 3.0 to 5.6 METs
Tennis – 3.0 METs
Golf – 2.0 METS

Metabolic Equivalent Values are multiples of resting metabolic rate. For example, boxing with a Met value of 4.5 requires 4.5x more energy expenditure than someone sitting. These MET values for the Wii Fit show that you will get a good workout with the Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board.  Get up off the couch, have fun and get your Wii on!

Halloween doesn’t only have to be about trick or treating and candy this year. Before you carve that pumpkin for Saturday, why not take it into your backyard and work out with it.

Holly Rigsby from FitYummyMummy.com has created 4 fun workouts you can do. All you need is a pumpkin, a pillow case and 15 minutes. The moves include pumpkin chops, the headless deadlift, the pumpkin plank, lunges with a twist, basic hops and lateral hops.

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There seems to be a new fitness trend sweeping America, and it dates all the way back to prehistoric man. Running barefoot.

Christopher McDougall, best-selling author of Born To Run, is largely responsible for this renewed interest in running barefoot, and it may be more than just a trend. Running barefoot could actually help you prevent serious injuries.

When you run barefoot, your posture automatically improves. McDougall told the New York Times that when you don’t wear shoes, you naturally run more upright with quick, light landings and your strides become shorter. McDougall also referenced research conducted by the University of Oregon in 1989 that proved that the greater the cushioning in a running shoe, the greater the impact on the joints in your legs.

Many runners will cringe at the thought of running barefoot on pavement and say it will actually cause more harm than good because your feet aren’t protected from sharp objects.

“The hard, man-made surfaces are like cream. It’s nature you’ve got to watch out for, because nature’s got horse chestnuts and acorns and rocks and things,” McDougall told the New York Times. “I’ve got this special equipment I like to use. They’re called eyeballs. I see a rock, I just step next to it. There’s a lot less out there than you think.”

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While celebrities like Brooke Shields completely shun any workouts involving weights, it’s all that stars like Julie Benz use. The Dexter actress shared her secret workout weapon with People magazine recently.

“There’s this misconception that if you lift heavy weights that you’re going to bulk up,” Benz told People. “As a woman, I can attest [that] you don’t bulk up – you actually trim down.”

The 37-year-old actress is stepping up her workout routine now that the killer TV series has begun airing its fourth season, and one of the key components to her four-day programme is lifting pretty heavy weights.

And judging by her entrance to the 61^st Primetime Emmy Awards last week, the weight training is definitely working out for her. Watch this video with the actress in her stunning Georges Chakra gown.

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Are you a fan of The Office? So are the ladies at Self magazine, who have created office-friendly workouts after they were inspired by the funny TV series.

The Self editorial team, from the fashion assistant to the web assistant, were taped doing routines like the swivel sculptor and shoulder shaper to the upper-body buffer and rear raiser. The team appear to be having so much fun with no one in the rest of the office really noticing that they were actually working out at their desks. And all most of them needed was a simple exercise band.

With these simple moves, you too can get “on-the-job-training”!

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Times are tough and the recession is hitting everyone hard. Some of us have even been forced to cancel our gym memberships. But Women’s Health has found a solution to those who still want to get fit but can’t afford a personal trainer anymore. They are offering free workout videos for download.

All the videos can be downloaded either to your computer or portable media player, so you can carry them around with you wherever you choose to work out. So far, the online women’s health magazine is offering 2 video workouts Lean and Fit in 7 Minutes and 20-Minute Abs.

Above is a short video clip from the 20-Minute Abs workout.

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